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Wearside stories you may have missed this week

Beamish, the Living Museum of the North Black and white photograph, dating from 1947, of the Durham Wasps ice hockey team. In the forefront are five men - four in ice hockey gear and one wearing a zipped top and a bow tie, all wearing ice skates and kneeling on the ice. Behind them are standing nine men in ice hockey sweaters, flanked by three men wearing suits. Tiers of seats can be seen in the background.Beamish, the Living Museum of the North
Russ Proudfoot, third at the back from left to right, pictured in 1947, was one of the first Durham Wasps players

From the mystery of a stolen statue replacement to the regrets of a ice hockey club founder member, and a plea by a nurse who revived a collapsed fellow football fan at Wembley - here are some of the stories from Wearside you may have missed this week.

Son speaks of father's Wasps regret

Supplied A black and white portrait photo of Russ Proudfoot looking serious in a uniform and capSupplied
Russ Proudfoot joined South Shields Marine School aged 16 and served in the Navy during World War Two

A founding member of one of the UK's most successful hockey teams wished he had not left it to play elsewhere, his son has said.

William Russell Proudfoot, known as Russ, was one of the first men to play for the Durham Wasps when it was formed in 1946.

His son, Chris Proudfoot, said his dad had "left his mark" and missed the Wasps when he started playing for Liverpool in the late 1940s, following a dispute with the owner of Durham Ice Rink.

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Mystery artist replaces village's stolen statue

A bronze-coloured fibreglass statue of a pony stands fixed to a wooden board, which is on top of a concrete plinth, and cloudy skies above.
The pit pony was installed overnight and spotted on Friday morning

Villagers awoke to a replica pony standing tall in place of a bronze metal statue which was cut down to its hooves last summer.

The original in Ryhope, Sunderland, was stolen in 2024, while an identical statue at the other end of the village was sliced down by thieves in 2021, with nobody ever traced for either theft.

The new bronze-coloured, fibreglass effigy by a secretive sculptor appeared on one of the concrete plinths welcoming visitors to the village on Friday morning.

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Nurse backs CPR skills after Wembley fan collapse

Supplied Brian Soulsby and his son Ben are standing in the South Stand at Wembley Stadium ahead of Sunderland's match with Sheffield United. The duo are both dressed in red and white Sunderland shirts.Supplied
Brian Soulsby, pictured with son Ben, who attended the play-off final with his family, helped a man in distress

A nurse who revived a fellow football fan who collapsed at Wembley has urged others "to learn CPR" in the hope of saving more lives.

Brian Soulsby, attended the Championship play-off final with his family, and spotted "someone in distress" as the crowd celebrated Sunderland's first goal.

He performed CPR on the man, aged in his early 20s, who was admitted to hospital and is continuing to recover.

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Trophy display as Rugby World Cup fever mounts

Sam Dixon-French/BBC The Women's Rugby World Cup trophy - gold coloured with two large handles and ornate carvings. It is standing on a plinth in front of curved glass windows.Sam Dixon-French/BBC
The Rugby World Cup trophy is heading to Sunderland

Sunderland is gearing up to play host to the opening tournament of the Women's Rugby World Cup.

England's Red Roses are taking on the USA at the Stadium of Light on 22 August.

In the build-up to the event, the trophy will be displayed at Sunderland's Keel Square on 6 June from 12:00 BST to 16:00.

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